Mass. may tell Amazon to charge sales tax

Coffers, residents’ costs would grow

The Patrick administration may require Amazon.com to start collecting sales tax on purchases made in Massachusetts, a move that would raise prices for online shoppers, but generate as much as $45 million in annual revenue for the state, according to several people briefed on the matter.

The Massachusetts Main Street Fairness Coalition, a group of retailers, elected officials, and labor unions, recently escalated pressure on state officials to impose the 6.25 percent tax on Amazon sales after the company bought a local technology firm and opened an office in Cambridge. Merchants are supposed to collect the tax if they have a physical presence in a state.